Cultivating triumphs

Two things:

1. David and Ange very nicely gave me a mini-garden in a lovely painted pot late last year. It consisted of 6 types of cacti. At first I had it in the old office, but it didn't do so well - lack of natural light I think. I took it home to the flat, but it didn't do well there either - horrible aphid infestation and then a curious black fuzzy stuff on some of the plants.

I brought it to the new office, got some smaller pots, fresh soil, split up the various cacti and transplanted them. I took only the tinest pieces of 4 of them, trying to get the non-diseased bits. They live on my 4th-floor window-sill, with plenty of light. I look at them every day and remove the random aphid I find - and for 2 days there appear to be none left. And happily, each plant appears to be doing very well. The old pot is out on our office deck getting cleansed by the whether, so in time I hope to recreate my garden - fresh, new and healthy.

2. Since finding in my new flat a place to call 'home', in which to feel comfortable and to which others should be invited, I have resolved to leave work between 5-6pm, or thereabouts. I have wanted to put effort into non-work things in my home environment - including building relationships, helping to make the flat a nice place to be, writing, reading, little jobs, etc. I've been pretty good at doing this (though the evenings disappear so quickly!), and now have what feels like a nice work-home rhythm. I aim to inculcate the little disciplines necessary to achieve a little on a regular basis (and for this I find myself thinking of Mr & Mrs Bartlett as role models). Over time, these amount to large accomplishments. And this is pleasing; not a chasing after the wind. Gardens may be found in many places.